The present invention relates to bending of thermoplastic tubes and more specifically to an apparatus and method for induction heating and bending of thermoplastic composite tubes.
Aircraft components and aircraft engines require lightweight parts in order to be efficient. Tubing for fuel flow and for gas flow are conventionally formed of metallic materials. Substituting lighter-weight thermoplastic materials for tubing formed of metallic materials can result in lighter-weight and more efficient engines and aircraft components. However, conventional thermoplastic materials do not have suitable strength characteristics for such applications. Fiber reinforced composite tubes can be used for some specialized applications that require more strength than available in standard thermoplastics. However conventional methods of making fiber reinforced tubes with bends and turns suitable for aircraft components and aircraft engines are complex and expensive.